Knotless suture anchor guide

ABSTRACT

Devices and methods are provided for forming a hole in bone and implanting a suture anchor in the bone hole. The devices and methods disclosed herein allow a suture coupled to tissue to be passed through a shaft that is also configured to receive a drill bit. Exemplary guide devices are provided having a shaft with a cross-sectional shape that allows the suture to be seated in a secondary region that is offset from a primary region that receives the drill bit therethrough. A drill bit can be passed through the shaft without causing any damage to the suture extending through the shaft, and subsequently an anchor can be advanced along the suture through the shaft and guided into the bone hole.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.14/694,526 filed on Apr. 23, 2015 and entitled “Knotless Suture AnchorGuide,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present invention relates to knotless suture anchor guide devicesand methods.

BACKGROUND

When soft tissue tears away from bone, reattachment becomes necessary.Various devices, including sutures, screws, staples, wedges, anchors andplugs have been used in the prior art to secure soft tissue to bone. Inball-and-socket joints, such as the shoulder or hip, reattachment isoften necessary due to the high stress and movement demanded of theball-and-socket bone structures. Often, such procedures involve surgicalreattachment of labral tissue. The labral tissue, or labrum, is a typeof soft tissue or cartilage that surrounds the socket of ball-and-socketjoints, such as the shoulder and the hip joint. The labrum forms a ringaround the edge of the bony socket of the joint, and helps to providestability to the joint, yet unlike bone, it also allows flexibility andmotion.

Current procedures can involve the use of a knotless suture anchor forreattaching the labrum to the bone, as knotless anchors avoid the needto tie a knot in a constricted space, such as a ball-and-socket joint. Asuture is first passed through the tissue to be reattached, and thetrailing ends of the suture extending outside of the patient are thenloaded onto the anchor. A drill guide is typically passed through thetissue and positioned in alignment with the anchor site, and a drill bitis passed through the drill guide to form a hole in the bone. The sutureis positioned off to the side while the hole is being formed. Once thebone hole is prepared, the drill guide is removed and the anchor can beinserted into the bone hole using an inserter tool. The suture istensioned during advancement of the anchor so as to pull the tissuetoward the bone hole, thereby anchoring the tissue to the bone.

While knotless anchors can be very effective in reattaching soft tissueto bone, the small size of the anchor and the tight constraints of theball-and-socket joint can make it difficult to locate the bone hole andto insert the anchor into the bone hole. In the shoulder joint, forexample, the humeral head will typically return to its resting positionwithin the socket after the drill guide is removed, obstructing the pathto the hole. In the hip, visualization of the hole can be a challengedue to challenging angles and the tight nature of the joint space.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and devices forguiding an anchor, such as a knotless suture anchor, into a bone hole.

SUMMARY

Various devices and methods are provided for facilitating theimplantation of a knotless suture anchor in a bone hole to reattachtissue to bone. In one embodiment, a knotless suture anchor guide deviceis provided and includes a handle and a shaft extending distally fromthe handle. The shaft can have an inner lumen with a cross-sectionalshape that includes a primary region configured to receive a drill bittherethrough, and an offset region configured to seat a length of suturesuch that the suture seats outside of the primary region and thereforedoes not come into contact with a cutting portion of the drill bit.

The handle can have a variety of configurations and can include variousfeatures. In one embodiment, the handle can have a generally elongatecylindrical shape with an inner lumen extending therethrough. The innerlumen in the handle can be co-axial with the inner lumen of the shaft.The handle can in other aspects extend at a non-zero angle relative tothe shaft. In another embodiment, the handle or the shaft can include asuture-engaging feature for engaging a suture extending through theinner lumen. In one embodiment, the suture-engaging feature can be inthe form of a slit for releasably engaging a suture. The handle caninclude other features such as an irrigation hole formed therein and incommunication with the inner lumen of the shaft such that irrigationfluid can flow through the shaft and exit through the irrigation hole.In another embodiment, the handle can include a side arm coupled theretoand having a channel configured to seat an elongate tool therein.

The shaft can also have a variety of configurations and can includevarious features. In one embodiment, the shaft can include a distal endwith a relief cut-out formed therein for seating a suture extendingthrough the inner lumen. The relief cut-out and the suture-engagingfeature can be longitudinally aligned with the offset region. In oneexemplary embodiment, the relief cut-out in the distal end of the shaftcan be substantially U-shaped and can include at least one notch formedin a proximal end thereof. The offset portion of the shaft can also havevarious configurations, and it can have various shapes, such assubstantially triangular, substantially circular, or substantiallysemi-circular.

In another embodiment, a suture anchor and delivery kit is provided andincludes a delivery tool having a handle with an elongate shaftextending distally therefrom. The shaft has an inner lumen extendingtherethrough, and the inner lumen has a cross-section with a primaryregion for receiving a drill bit and a secondary offset region. The kitalso includes a suture anchor assembly having an anchor configured to beimplanted in bone, and a suture configured to be coupled to the anchor.The suture is configured to extend through the inner lumen in the shaftand to sit within the secondary offset region such that a drill bit canbe passed through the primary region of the inner lumen in the shaftwithout contacting the suture.

The delivery tool can have a variety of configurations. In oneembodiment, the handle has an inner lumen extending therethrough and incommunication with the inner lumen in the shaft. The handle or the shaftcan include features such as a suture-engaging feature formed thereinand configured to releasably engage the suture, and/or an irrigationhole formed therein and configured to allow irrigation fluid to flowthrough the inner lumen in the shaft and to exit through the irrigationhole. The shaft can also have various features and can include, forexample, a relief cut-out formed in a distal end thereof andlongitudinally aligned with the secondary offset region of the innerlumen. The distal end of the shaft can include other features such as aviewing window formed therein, and/or bone engaging teeth formedthereon.

In other aspects, a method for anchoring tissue to bone is provided andincludes passing a suture through tissue to be anchor to bone, andpassing a trailing end of the suture extending from the tissue throughan inner lumen in an elongate shaft of a delivery tool. The method alsoincludes positioning a distal end of the elongate shaft adjacent tobone, and advancing a drill bit through the inner lumen of the shaft andinto the bone to form a hole in the bone. The suture extending throughthe inner lumen can be offset from the path of the drill bit such thatthe drill bit does not contact the suture. The method further includesadvancing an anchor along the suture and through the inner lumen of theguide tool to deliver the anchor into the bone hole.

While the method can vary, in one embodiment passing a trailing end ofthe suture through the inner lumen of the elongate shaft includesseating a portion of the suture within a relief cut-out formed in adistal end of the shaft, and seating a portion of the suture within asuture-engaging feature of the delivery tool such that the suture istensioned between the relief cut-out and the suture-engaging feature. Inother aspects, positioning a distal end of the elongate shaft adjacentto bone includes positioning teeth formed on a distal end of the shaftinto engagement with the bone. The method can also include viewing atleast one of the drill bit, the suture, and the anchor through a viewingwindow formed in a distal portion of the elongate shaft. In anotherembodiment, prior to advancing the anchor, the anchor can be coupled toa portion of the suture extending proximally from the delivery tool, andadvancing the anchor can include coupling the anchor to an inserter tooland passing the inserter tool with the anchor coupled thereto throughthe inner lumen of the shaft. Tension can be applied to the suture whilethe anchor is advanced along the suture through the inner lumen of theshaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a guide device havinga handle and an elongate shaft that are coaxial;

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the guide device of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of a proximal end of the handle of thedevice of FIG. 1A, showing a suture-engaging feature;

FIG. 1D is a perspective view of a distal end of the shaft of the deviceof FIG. 1A, showing a relief cut-out, bone engaging teeth, and viewingwindows;

FIG. 1E is a side view of the relief cut-out formed in the distal end ofthe elongate shaft of FIG. 1D;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of another embodiment of a guide devicehaving a handle and an elongate shaft that extends at a non-zero anglerelative to the handle;

FIG. 2B is another perspective view of the device of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is a top perspective view of the handle of the device of FIG.2A;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of another embodiment of a guide devicehaving a handle with a side support coupled thereto, and having anelongate shaft that extends from the handle;

FIG. 3B is a top perspective view of the handle and side support of thedevice of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of another embodiment of asuture-engaging feature;

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an elongate shafthaving a primary circular portion and an offset portion that issubstantially triangular;

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of an elongateshaft having a primary circular portion and an offset portion that issubstantially circular;

FIG. 6A is a side view of another embodiment of a relief cut-out formedin a distal end of an elongate shaft;

FIG. 6B is a side view of yet another embodiment of a relief cut-outformed in a distal end of an elongate shaft;

FIG. 6C is a side view of yet another embodiment of a relief cut-outformed in a distal end of an elongate shaft;

FIG. 7 is a side view of one embodiment of a suture anchor;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the guide device of FIG. 1A shown witha suture extending therethrough and coupling to tissue;

FIG. 8B is a side view of a distal end of the guide device, suture, andtissue of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 8C is a perspective view of the guide device, suture, and tissue ofFIG. 8A, showing an anchor coupled to trailing ends of the suture; and

FIG. 8D is a side view of a distal portion of the guide device of FIG.8A, showing the anchor implanted in the bone hole and the suture tensionto reattach the tissue to bone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide anoverall understanding of the principles of the structure, function,manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One ormore examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices andmethods specifically described herein and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and thatthe scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. Thefeatures illustrated or described in connection with one exemplaryembodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Suchmodifications and variations are intended to be included within thescope of the present invention.

Various devices and methods are provided for guiding a drill bit throughtissue to form a hole in bone, and for guiding a suture anchor into thebone hole. The devices and methods disclosed herein are particularlyadvantageous as they allow a suture coupled to tissue to be passedthrough a shaft that is also configured to receive a drill bit. Theshaft has a cross-sectional shape that allows the suture to be seated ina secondary region that is offset from a primary region that receivesthe drill bit therethrough. In this way, a suture mated at one end totissue can extend through the entire length of the shaft, and a drillbit can be passed through the shaft for forming a bone hole in bonewithout causing any damage to the suture. With the drill bit removed, ananchor can be advanced along the suture and guided by the guide into thebone hole formed by the drill bit. By allowing the suture to passthrough the shaft of the guide device, the guide device can guide theanchor directly into the bone hole. This may avoid the deficiencies ofthe prior art techniques discussed above. By allowing the suture to passthrough the guide device, additional steps may also be eliminatedthereby simplifying and shortening the procedure.

Various embodiments of guide devices are disclosed herein. In general,FIGS. 1A-1E illustrate one embodiment of a guide device 10 having ahandle 12 and an elongate shaft 14 extending from the handle. In thisembodiment, the handle 12 and the elongate shaft 14 are longitudinallyaligned and have coaxial lumens extending therethrough. FIGS. 2A-2Cillustrate another embodiment of a guide device 100 having a handle 112and an elongate shaft 114 extending from the handle. In this embodiment,the handle 112 extends at an angle, e.g., a non-zero angle, relative tothe elongate shaft 114. Such a configuration may be advantageous fordifficult to access anatomies, such as the hip joint. FIGS. 3A-3Billustrate yet another embodiment of a guide device 200 having a handle212 and an elongate shaft 214 extending therefrom. In this embodiment,the handle includes a support arm 213 coupled thereto and configured toseat a tool for inserting the anchor through the shaft. A person skilledin the art will appreciate that the various features on each of thedisclosed embodiments can be used in any combination and in connectionwith any of the disclosed guide devices.

Turning first to the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1E, as indicated above theguide device 10 has a handle 12 with a proximal end 12 p and a distalend 12 d. The handle can have various shapes and sizes, and as shown hasa generally elongate cylindrical shape to facilitate grasping. Theillustrated handle 12 has an inner lumen 12 i extending therethroughbetween the proximal end distal ends 12 p, 12 d thereof. The illustratedinner lumen 12 i has a constant diameter, however it can vary indiameter along its length. As shown in FIG. 1B, the inner lumen 12 i issubstantially constant in diameter from the proximal end 12 p toward thedistal end 12 d along a substantial portion of the handle 12. However,the inner lumen 12 i tapered radially inward near the distal end 12 d.The tapered configuration may facilitate positioning of a sutureextending through from the shaft 14 into the inner lumen of the handle12, as will be discussed in more detail below.

As further shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, the handle 12 also includes severalirrigation holes 16 formed therein and extending through a sidewallthereof. The irrigation holes 16 extend into the inner lumen 12 i suchthat fluid flowing through the inner lumen 12 i, e.g., from the shaft14, can exit out through the irrigation holes 16. Since saline is oftendelivered under pressure into the joint where the anchor is beingimplanted, the irrigations holes 16 may advantageously preventirrigation fluid from exiting out of the proximal end 12 p of the handle12.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the handle 12 also includes a suture-engagingfeature 18 that is configured to releasably engage a suture. In theillustrated embodiment, the suture-engaging feature 18 is in the form ofa slit or cleat formed in a proximal facing surface of the proximal end12 p of the handle. The illustrated suture-engaging feature 18 is on thesame side as and aligned with the secondary region of the shaft. Thisalignment may help maintain the suture at a distance apart from a drillbit passed through the inner lumen of the shaft, and may thus preventthe cutting portion of the drill bit from causing damage to the suture.The illustrated slit has an enlarged mouth with sloping sidewalls thatmerge toward the slit. This may facilitate insertion of a suture intothe slit. In one embodiment, the slit has a width that allows twostrands of suture legs to slide therein and to be fixedly andnon-slidably maintained. The suture-engaging feature can thus allowtension to be maintained on a suture extending through shaft 14 and thehandle 12.

The suture-engaging feature can have a variety of other configurations.By way of non-limiting example only, FIG. 4 illustrates anotherembodiment of a suture-engaging feature 19 having an enlarged mouth bothwith two opposed slits 19 a, 19 b extending outward from opposite sidesof the mouth. This configuration can allow a first suture leg to bepositioned in one of the slits 19 a while a second suture leg ispositioned in the other slit 19 b.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the suture-engagingfeature can have a variety of other configurations, and need not be inthe form of slits. The suture-engaging feature can also be positioned atvarious other locations on the handle or on the shaft and is not limitedto being located on the proximal end of the handle as shown.

As indicated above, the guide device 10 further includes an elongateshaft 14 having a proximal end 14 p that is mated to a distal end 12 dof the handle 12, and having a distal end 14 d that is configured to bepositioned adjacent to an anchor site on bone. The shaft 14 can havevarious shapes and sizes, but in one embodiment that shaft is configuredsuch that the cross-sectional shape allows both a suture and a drill bitto be passed through the shaft without the drill bit causing any damageto the suture.

In an exemplary embodiment, the shaft 14 has an inner lumen with anirregular cross-sectional shape such that the shape has a primary regionfor receiving a drill bit and a secondary offset region for seating thesuture. For example, where a circular drill bit is used, the primaryregion has a generally circular configuration. The secondary offsetregion is positioned just outside of the primary region so as to definean area extending outside of the diameter where the drill bit is passedthrough for seating a suture.

In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1D and 1E, the shaft 14has an inner lumen 14 i with a primary region 20 that is generallycircular and that has a diameter sufficient to allow a drill bit to passtherethrough. A secondary region 22 is offset from the primary region 20so as to define a channel extending along the entire length of the innerlumen where the suture will reside without interference from the drillbit. The illustrated secondary region 22 has a generally triangularshape with one rounded corner for seating the suture. Thecross-sectional shape of the inner lumen 14 i allows the suture to moveoutside of the perimeter of the drill bit pathway.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the inner lumen canhave a variety of shapes and sizes as long as the suture can extendalong the length of the inner lumen without coming into contact with adrill bit being passed through the inner lumen. By way of non-limitingexample, FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate additional cross-sectionalconfigurations for a shaft of a guide device. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5A, the primary region 20 a has a substantially circular shape forreceiving a drill bit, and the secondary region 22 a also has asubstantially circular shape however with a much smaller diameter forseating the suture. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, the primaryregion 20 b has a substantially circular shape for receiving a drillbit, and the secondary region 22 b has a substantially semi-circularshape for seating the suture.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the shape of theprimary region 20 b can be configured to correspond to the shape of adrill bit, and that the second region can have any shape, such assquare, rectangular, etc., as long as a suture can be positioned offsetfrom the primary region 20 b. The inner lumen can also include anynumber of secondary regions positioned at various locations around theperimeter thereof and extending along the length of the shaft so as toseat any number of lengths of suture.

Turning back to FIGS. 1A-1E, the distal end 14 d of the shaft 14 canalso have a variety of configurations. In the illustrated embodiment,the distal end 14 d includes bone engaging surface features, such as oneor more teeth 24, for engaging bone to prevent movement of the guidedevice relative to the bone. The teeth 24 are formed on thedistal-facing end of the shaft 14 so as to engage or penetrate into bonewhen the shaft 14 is moved into contact with a bone surface. The distalend 14 d also includes several viewing windows 26 formed therein toallow viewing through a sidewall of the shaft 14 into the inner lumen 14i. In the illustrated embodiment, the shaft has three viewing windows 26spaced radially around one side of the shaft 14, and each viewing windowhas a generally oblong or oval shape oriented lengthwise along alongitudinal axis of the shaft. A person skilled in the art willappreciate that the shaft 14 can include any number of viewing windowsat any location and having any shape.

As further shown in FIG. 1D, the shaft 14 can include a feature formedin the distal end for receiving the suture and for allowing the sutureto be positioned a distance from the bone surface. In the illustratedembodiment, the feature is in the form of a relief cut-out 28 thatextends from the distal end 14 d of the shaft 14 and that extendsproximally along a portion of one side of the shaft 14. While theposition of the relief cut-out 28 can vary, in the illustratedembodiment the relief cut-out 28 is aligned with the secondary region 22of the inner lumen 14 i, such that the suture can be positioned withinthe relief cut-out 28 and extends along the secondary offset region 22,out of the path of a drill bit inserted through the shaft 14. The reliefcut-out 28 is thus also aligned with the suture-engaging feature 18. Thealignment between the relief cut-out 28 and the suture-engaging feature18 may help maintain the suture within the offset region 22, and thusmay prevent the suture from moving into the primary region 20 b and intocontact with any cutting portion of a drill bit passed therethrough.

The size of the relief cut-out 28 can also vary, but in one embodimentthe relief cut-out 28 has a size that allows the suture to be positioneda distance from the distal-most end of the shaft 14, i.e., a distancefrom the bone surface. The illustrated relief cut-out 28 extendsproximally beyond the viewing windows 26 so as to allow the suture to beposition proximal of the viewing windows 26. Such a configuration willallow the suture to be pulled up and away from the bone so as to avoidan interference with the drill bit, and to allow viewing of the bone anddrill bit tip without interference from the suture.

The shape of the relief cut-out 28 can vary. As shown in FIG. 1D, therelief cut-out is substantially U-shaped with curved or concavesidewalls. The relief cut-out can have a variety of other shapes. By wayof non-limiting example, FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate additional embodimentsof relief cut-outs that can be used on any of the guide devicesdisclosed herein.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the relief cut-out 28 a is similar to the reliefcut-out 28 shown in FIG. 1D, and has a substantially semi-circular orU-shape.

In FIG. 6B, the relief cut-out 28 b is U-shaped, but it includes anadditional cut-out or notch 29 b formed therein. The notch 29 b is inthe form of a small semi-circular feature that is configured to seat thesuture to help prevent sliding of the suture.

In FIG. 6C, the relief cut-out 28 c is also U-shaped, but in thisembodiment it includes two notches 29 c formed therein. A first leg ofsuture can be seated in one of the notches and a second leg of suturecan be seated in the other notch. This may help align the sutures andprevent twisting of the sutures within the inner lumen 14 i.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the relief cut-out canbe formed at various locations, it can have various sizes, and the shapecan vary as desired.

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate another embodiment of a guide device 100 that issimilar to guide device 10, but that has a different handleconfiguration. Accordingly, all of the features discussed above withrespect to guide device 10 can be included in guide device 100. Asshown, guide device 100 has a handle 112 and an elongate shaft 114coupled to and extending from the handle 112. The shaft 114 has the sameconfiguration as shaft 14 discussed above, and includes a distal tiphaving bone-engaging teeth 124, one or more viewing windows 126, and arelief cut-out 128.

The handle 112 in this embodiment, unlike handle 12, extends at an anglerelative to the elongate shaft 114. In particular, the handle 112 has agenerally elongate configuration defining a longitudinal axis L withproximal and distal ends 112 p, 112 d. The distal end 112 d is coupledto the shaft 114 such that a longitudinal axis 1 of the shaft 114extends at a non-zero angle relative to the longitudinal axis of thehandle 112. In the illustrated embodiment, the angle α between thehandle's longitudinal axis L and the shaft's longitudinal axis 1 isequal to or less than 90 degrees. In order to form such an angle, theproximal end 114 p of the shaft 114 can be coupled to a side surface ofthe handle, rather than extending from the distal end.

In the illustrated embodiment, the handle 112 has a grasping portion 112g that is substantially cylindrical with various flattened sides, and atip portion 112 t formed at the distal end 112 d that the shaft 114 ismated to. The illustrated tip portion 112 t has a tapering or inclinedconfiguration, where a top surface is angled relative to a top surfaceof the grasping portion 112 g to form a more pointed tip on the tipportion 112 t. The distal region of the tip portion 112 t includes abore 113 formed therein for mating the shaft 114 to the tip portion 112t. The bore 113 is co-axial with and in communication with the lumen inthe shaft 114.

In use, the angular orientation of the handle 112 relative to the shaft114 may facilitate manipulation of the guide device 100, especially injoints such as the hip that can be difficult to access. A person skilledin the art will appreciate that the handle can have a variety of shapesand sizes and that it can be positioned at various angles relative tothe shaft as may be desired based on the intended use.

In one embodiment, the entire tip portion 112 t, portions of the tipportion 112 t, and/or the shaft 114 can be movably and/or detachablycoupled to the remainder of the handle 112. Such a configuration may,for example, allow the grasping portion 112 g of the handle to berotated and positioned as desired relative to the shaft 114. A lockingfeature can be provided for locking the handle 112 in a desiredorientation relative to the shaft 114.

As further shown in FIGS. 2A and 2C, the tip portion 112 t includes asuture-engaging feature 118 formed therein that is similar tosuture-engaging feature 18. In particular, the suture-engaging feature118 is in the form of a slit or cleat formed in the tip portion 112 tfor allowing a suture extending out of the inner lumen of the shaft 114to be positioned therein and to be releasably retained. A person skilledin the art will appreciate that the suture-engaging feature 118 can beformed at various locations on the shaft 114 and/or on the handle 112,and that it can have a variety of shapes and sizes as discussed above.

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate another embodiment of a guide device 200 having ahandle 212 and an elongate shaft 214 that are similar to the handle 112and shaft 114 discussed above with respect to FIGS. 2A-2C. In thisembodiment, however, the handle 212 includes a support arm 213 matedthereto. In particular, a tip portion 212 t of the handle 212 includesan extension rod 215 coupled thereto and extending laterally outwardtherefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the shaft 214.The support arm 213 is mated to an end of the extension rod 215 andextends substantially parallel to the handle 212. The support arm 213can be slightly angled away from the handle 212 toward a proximal end ofthe device as may be desired. The support arm is 213 can have agenerally elongate shape with an elongate substantially c-shaped channel213 c formed therein along the length thereof. The channel 213 c can beconfigured to seat a tool, such as an inserter tool for inserting ananchor through the shaft 214.

The support arm 213 can also include support features 213 s, such asopposed tabs extending upward from opposed sides of the channel 213 c tohelp support and retain a shaft of an inserter tool within the supportarm 213.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the support arm 213 canbe used in connection with any of the guide devices disclosed herein,and that it can have a variety of configurations for retaining aninserter tool. For example, the support arm can vary in length, and itcan have a length that is shorter than a length of the guide device. Thesupport arm can additionally or alternatively be detachable, and it canbe formed on or removably matable to either side or both sides of thedrill guide.

In use, an anchor coupled to a suture extending proximally out of theshaft can be mounted onto a distal tip of a tool, and the tool can beseated within the support arm 213 or within any feature on the supportarm while a drill bit is passed through the shaft to form a bone hole inthe bone. Once the bone hole is formed, the tool can be removed from thesupport arm 213, and the tool with the anchor on the tip can be passedthrough the shaft. The suture can remain in engagement with thesuture-engaging feature so as to provide tension to the suture while theanchor is passed through the shaft. This may free up a user's handduring the procedure.

Various methods for reattaching soft tissue to bone are also providedherein. In general, a suture is coupled to tissue to be reattached, andan anchor having the suture coupled thereto is implanted in a bone holeat an attachment location. The suture is tensioned to pull the tissuetoward the bone. The anchor can be configured to lock and preventsliding of the suture, thereby reattaching the tissue to the bone.

Suture anchors having a variety of different constructions can be usedwith the methods disclosed herein. By way of example, FIG. 7 illustratesone embodiment of a suture anchor 310. As shown, the suture anchor 310is generally elongate with a longitudinal axis A extending between aproximal end 310 a and a distal end 310 b. The suture anchor 310 canalso have at least one feature, such as threads 312, configured toengage bone. The suture anchor 310 can also have features for receivinga suture therein. By way of non-limiting example, the suture anchor 310of FIG. 7 has an inner lumen 314 that extends between proximal anddistal ends 310 a, 310 b, along a longitudinal axis A of the sutureanchor 310, for receiving a suture. In another embodiment, an aperture(not shown) can extend at least partially through the suture anchor 310along an axis transverse to longitudinal axis A. As will also beappreciated by a person skilled in the art, the suture anchor canalternatively have one or more apertures or openings disposed at anylocation on the anchor, such as on a sidewall of the anchor. Suchapertures can form a pathway for receiving a suture that can be curved,or of any other shape. The suture anchor 310 can also be a knotlesssuture anchor that allows a user to thread the anchor with suture andform a loop without tying a knot. By way of non-limiting example, asuture (not shown) can be threaded through the anchor by inserting oneterminal end of the suture through the proximal end 310 a of the anchor,passing it distally, moving around a distal end 310 b of the sutureanchor, and out through a sidewall of the anchor. A suture threader (notshown) can also be used to thread the suture through suture anchor 310.The suture anchor 310 can also have a mating feature 316 positioned onthe proximal end 310 a of the anchor and configured to mate with adistal end of an inserter tool. A person skilled in the art willappreciate that various suture anchors known in the art can be used inconnection with the guide devices and methods disclosed herein.

In use, the procedure usually begins by preparing the patient forsurgery and making one or more appropriately sized incisions at adesired location. In a minimally invasive procedure, one or morecannulas (not shown) can be positioned in the incisions to provideaccess to the surgical site. One skilled in the art will also understandthat one or more viewing devices, e.g., scopes, can be placed in one ofthe incisions to allow medical personnel to view the surgical site fromoutside the body.

Once the patient is prepared for surgery, a length of suture S is passedinto the patient's body and passed through soft tissue T that is to besurgically reattached to bone B. As shown in FIG. 8A, the suture S canbe passed through tissue T such that the terminal ends S1, S2 arepositioned outside of the patient's body. One skilled in the art willappreciate that the suture can be passed through the tissue using anyknown surgical technique, such as by mattress and cinch loop methods.With the suture so positioned, a guide device (e.g., guide device 10 isshown by way of example) is positioned within the surgical site with thesuture S being positioned within the lumen in the shaft 14 of the guidedevice 10. This can be accomplished by a variety of known techniques,including by passing a suture passer (not shown) into the lumen of theshaft 14 and out of the proximal opening in the handle 12 such that thetwo limbs S1, S2 of the suture S extend out of the handle 12.

Once the suture S is positioned through the guide device 10, the suturelimbs S1, S2 extending from the handle 12 can be tensioned so as tocause the suture to sit within the relief cut-out in the distal end ofthe shaft 14, and to be seated in the secondary offset region along theentire length of the shaft 14. The limbs S1, S2 extending out of thehandle 12 can be passed into the suture-engaging feature (not shown)formed on the handle 12 of guide device 10, which will maintain andprevent sliding of the suture S. In an exemplary embodiment, the reliefcut-out, the secondary region, and the suture-engaging feature are alllongitudinally aligned and are all positioned at the same radiallocation around the perimeter of the shaft 14 so as to maintain thesuture off to one side of the shaft 14.

With the suture seated in the secondary offset region of the shaft, thebone engaging teeth on the distal end of the shaft 14 on the guidedevice 10 can be positioned to abut bone B, as shown in FIG. 8B. Theshaft 14 should be oriented such that the relief cut-out 28 faces thetissue T being reattached. As so positioned, the suture adjacent to thedistal end of the shaft 14 will extend across the relief cut-out 28toward the tissue. The suture S will thus be pulled up and out of theway of the bone surface. If the relief cut-out includes two notchesformed therein, each limb of suture can be seated in a notch so as toprevent twisting of stacking of the suture S as it extends through theinner lumen. A drill bit 400 can then be passed through the shaft 14, asshown in FIG. 8B to form a hole in the bone B. The cutting tip on thedrill bit can be rotated, manually or by a motor, to advance the cuttingtip through bone to form a hole. During drilling, a user can grasp thehandle 12 of the guide device 10 to maintain the position of the guidedevice 10 relative to the bone. Grasping of the suture is unnecessarysince it is held by the suture-engaging feature. Since the drill bitonly occupies the primary region of the shaft and the suture S ismaintained in the secondary offset region, as shown in FIG. 8B, thedrill bit flutes will not contact or cause damage to the suture S.

Once the bone hole is formed, the drill bit can be removed, leaving theguide device 10 in contact with the bone surface. A downward force canbe applied to the guide device 10 to cause the bone engaging teeth 124to dig into the bone surface to hold the guide device 10 in positionagainst the bone while the drill bit is removed. After the suture S ispassed through the guide device 10, and either before or after the bonehole is formed, an anchor, e.g., anchor 500 is shown, can be mated tothe trailing limbs S1, S2 of the suture S. This can be achieved bythreading the suture S onto the anchor 500 as known based on theconfiguration of the anchor. With the anchor 500 mated to the suture S,as shown in FIG. 8C, the anchor 500 can be mounted onto an insertertool, e.g., tool 510 (only a portion of which is shown). If guide device200 is used, the inserter tool 510 can be seated in the support armuntil it is ready for use.

In order to implant the anchor, the suture can be tensioned to positionthe tissue T at a desired location relative to the bone B, and whilemaintaining tension of the suture the inserter tool 510 can bemanipulated to slide the anchor 500 along the suture through the guidedevice 10 and into the bone hole H, as shown in FIG. 8D. As the insertertool 510 is passed through the guide device 10, the anchor 500 can slidealong the suture S so that the terminal ends S1, S2 remain outside ofthe patient's body. Continued alignment between the shaft 14 of theguide device 10 and the bone hole as the anchor 500 is inserted ensuresthat a longitudinal axis of the anchor 500 is aligned with alongitudinal axis of the bone hole. Such alignment minimizes the risk ofinserting the anchor at an improper angle, which may damage the boneanchor and/or cause the anchor to fail.

A user can monitor the position of the anchor 500 within the guidedevice 10 using a scoping device that is focused on one or more of theviewing windows in the shaft 14. The viewing windows will allow viewingof the drill bit, the suture, and the anchor. Once the anchor 500 ispartially seated within the drilled hole H, the terminal ends S1, S2 ofthe suture S can be further pulled to tension the suture S and therebypull the attached tissue T closer to the anchor 500, and thus, to theposition of bone to which it is to be secured. The anchor 500 can bedriven into the hole H, such as by rotating and/or tapping the proximalend of the inserter tool 510. This action serves to lock the suture Sbetween an outer surface of the anchor 500 and an inner surface of thedrilled hole H. As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art,the anchor can lock the suture S in other ways, such as using a setscrew or internal interference feature. After the anchor 500 is fullyseated in the hole H, as shown in FIG. 8D, the guide device 10 can beremoved from the surgical site and the ends of the suture S can betrimmed.

The systems and methods described above can be used for a variety oftissue attachment procedures including, by way of non-limiting example,arthroscopic shoulder surgery. For example, the suture can be passedthrough the labrum and the drill guide can also be used to lever thehumeral head away from the glenoid cavity to gain access to the glenoidrim prior to drilling the bone. A person skilled in the art will alsoappreciate that the guide device can be used in connection with a guidewire instead of or in addition to a suture. The guide wire can be seatedwithin the secondary offset region of the shaft during drilling, and theanchor can subsequently be advanced along the guidewire duringinsertion.

The devices disclosed herein can be designed to be disposed of after asingle use, or they can be designed to be used multiple times. In eithercase, however, the device can be reconditioned for reuse after at leastone use. Reconditioning can include any combination of the steps ofdisassembly of the device, followed by cleaning or replacement ofparticular pieces, and subsequent reassembly. In particular, the devicecan be disassembled, and any number of the particular pieces or parts ofthe device can be selectively replaced or removed in any combination.Upon cleaning and/or replacement of particular parts, the device can bereassembled for subsequent use either at a reconditioning facility, orby a surgical team immediately prior to a surgical procedure. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that reconditioning of a device canutilize a variety of techniques for disassembly, cleaning/replacement,and reassembly. Use of such techniques, and the resulting reconditioneddevice, are all within the scope of the present application.

The invention described herein can be processed before use. First, a newor used instrument is obtained and if necessary cleaned. The instrumentcan then be sterilized. In one sterilization technique, the instrumentis placed in a closed and sealed container, such as a plastic or TYVEKbag. The container and instrument are then placed in a field ofradiation that can penetrate the container, such as gamma radiation,x-rays, or high-energy electrons. The radiation kills bacteria on theinstrument and in the container. The sterilized instrument can then bestored in the sterile container. The sealed container keeps theinstrument sterile until it is opened in the medical facility.

It is preferred that device is sterilized. This can be done by anynumber of ways known to those skilled in the art including beta or gammaradiation, ethylene oxide, steam, and a liquid bath (e.g., cold soak).

One skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantagesof the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly,the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shownand described, except as indicated by the appended claims. Allpublications and references cited herein are expressly incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for anchoring tissue to bone,comprising: passing a suture through tissue to be anchor to bone;passing a trailing end of the suture extending from the tissue throughan inner lumen in an elongate shaft of a delivery tool; positioning adistal end of the elongate shaft adjacent to bone; advancing a drill bitthrough the inner lumen of the shaft and into the bone to form a hole inthe bone, the suture extending through the inner lumen being offset fromthe path of the drill bit such that the drill bit does not contact thesuture; and advancing an anchor along the suture and through the innerlumen of the guide tool to deliver the anchor into the bone hole.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein passing a trailing end of the suture throughthe inner lumen of the elongate shaft includes seating a portion of thesuture within a relief cut-out formed in a distal end of the shaft, andseating a portion of the suture within a suture-engaging feature formedon the delivery tool such that the suture is tensioned between therelief cut-out and the suture-engaging feature.
 3. The method of claim1, wherein positioning a distal end of the elongate shaft adjacent tobone comprises positioning teeth formed on a distal end of the shaftinto engagement with the bone.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising viewing at least one of the drill bit, the suture, and theanchor through a viewing window formed in a distal portion of theelongate shaft.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to advancing theanchor, the anchor is coupled to a portion of the suture extendingproximally from the delivery tool, and wherein advancing the anchorcomprises coupling the anchor to an inserter tool and passing theinserter tool with the anchor coupled thereto through the inner lumen ofthe shaft.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein tension is applied to thesuture while the anchor is advanced along the suture through the innerlumen of the shaft.